Conrad Weiser: Pennsylvania Peacemaker

Conrad Weiser (1696-1760) was a Pennsylvania German pioneer, interpreter, and representative of the colonies to the Indians. Weiser was one of the most important figures in North America during the colonial period. Without Weiser's knowledge of native languages and customs and his deft handling of negotiations on behalf of the Penns and other royal governors, the long peace between the proprietors and the natives would have been short-lived. This second revised edition of Arthur Graeff's 1945 biography contains copious footnotes, numerous pictures, and a thorough index missing from the first edition.

Contents:

PrefaceI. The Exodus to CanaanII. Clearing the Path of FriendshipIII. Mid-Winter Journey to OnondagaIV. Expanding Indian AffairsV. A Perplexed ChristianVI. A Man of AffairsVII. A Diversity of DutiesVIII. The Treaty of LancasterIX. Two Missions to New YorkX. Standing “Newter”XI. To the Ohio CountryXII. Rival ClaimsXIII. Building Bridgeheads for PeaceXIV. Inter-Colony QuarrelsXV. The Founder of InstitutionsXVI. The StormXVII. Treaties of EastonXVIII. Posterity Will Not ForgetEpilogue: The Legacy of Conrad Weiser by Lawrence KnorrAfterword: My Friend Arthur Graeff by George M. Meiser, IX Index

About the Author:

Arthur Dundore Graeff, Ph.D., (1899-1969) was a lifelong educator and history enthusiast from western Berks County, Pennsylvania, the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch culture. Graeff was a scholar and leader in the study of Pennsylvania Dutch culture on the boards of both the Pennsylvania Folklife Society and the Pennsylvania German Society. He helped lead the combination of these groups in the late 1960s and was the president of the combined organization. He was a contemporary of such scholars as Fred Weiser, Don Yoder, Preston Barba, Albert Buffington, and Alfred Shoemaker. Graeff was the author of several books and numerous papers and articles but was best known for his Scholla series of local history in the Reading Times.

Graeff originally published this volume through the Pennsylvania Folklore Society in 1945. Lawrence Knorr, his grand nephew, has edited this volume and added a new epilogue about the importance of Conrad Weiser to American history. George M. Meiser IX provides his recollections of Arthur Graeff the beloved local historian.